System and method for interaction of a mobile station with an interactive voice response system

Abstract

A communication session is established between a mobile station ( 102 ) and an interactive voice response (IVR) system ( 106 ). One or more menu options in a speech form are received at the mobile station ( 102 ). The mobile station ( 102 ) converts these menu options from the speech form to a displayable form. A stored menu at the mobile station ( 102 ) is updated with the displayable form. The updated menu may then be presented to the user. The menu options reflected in the displayable form may be stored in at the mobile station ( 102 ) and/or at external devices that may or may not be associated with the IVR system ( 106 ).

1 . A method of interfacing with an interactive voice response (IVR) system comprising:
 at a mobile station:   establishing a communication session with an interactive voice response (IVR) system;   receiving one or more menu options in a speech form from a user;   converting the one or more menu options from the speech form to a displayable form; and   updating a stored menu with the displayable form.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing the displayable form in a memory storage device. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing the menu at a system server not associated with the IVR system. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing the menu at a system server that is associated with the IVR system. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising applying the displayable form to the stored menu during a subsequent communication session. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving menu options further comprises accepting keyboard user input. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stored menu comprises at least one node identifying a user location in the menu. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stored menu comprises at least one node and textual pair in the memory storage device. 
   
   
       9 . A method of interfacing with an interactive voice response (IVR) system comprising:
 at a mobile station:   establishing an initial communication session with an interactive voice response (IVR) system;   downloading an initial menu from a system server;   receiving one or more menu options in a speech form from a user;   converting the one or more menu options from the speech form to a displayable form; and   updating the initial menu with the displayable form to form an updated menu;   becoming disconnected from the initial communication session and establishing a subsequent communication session; and   providing the updated menu to the user after establishing the subsequent communication session.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising storing the displayable form in a memory storage device. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  further wherein the system server is not associated with the IVR system. 
   
   
       12 . A mobile station comprising:
 a display screen;   an interface for receiving one or more menu options in a speech form;   a memory storage device for storing a menu; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the interface, the memory storage device, and the display screen, the controller responsively converting the one or more menu options from the speech form to a displayable form and updating the menu with the displayable form to form an updated menu, the controller further programmed to present the updated menu to the user on the display screen.   
   
   
       13 . The mobile station of  claim 12  wherein the interface comprises a microphone. 
   
   
       14 . The mobile station of  claim 12  wherein the interface further comprises a keypad and the interfaces accepts textual inputs. 
   
   
       15 . The mobile station of  claim 12  wherein the controller is further programmed to communicate the menu options to an interactive voice response (IVR) system and responsively receive response information from the IVR system. 
   
   
       16 . The mobile station of  claim 15  wherein the controller is further programmed to display the response information to the user on the display screen. 
   
   
       17 . The mobile station of  claim 12  wherein the controller is further programmed to store the updated menu in the memory storage device and retrieve and display the updated menu stored in the memory storage device after communications with the IVR system have been severed and subsequently restored.